MARTIN COUNTY — The County Fee Tuesday took a pause on a controversial land-use designation, which, if permitted, would have set the phase for a luxurious residential golf-system local community in Hobe Sound.
The commission tabled approving or denying the proposed “rural life style” designation soon after hrs of break up public reviews and presentations from county personnel and reps of the developer.
It is unclear when it will appear in advance of the commission subsequent.
Commissioners Ed Ciampi and Stacey Hetherington urged developer Tom Hurley, of Becker Keeping Co., to return with a land-use designation that would use only to his property relatively than extra properties in other places in the county.
Much more: ‘Rural lifestyle’ land use could get Ok for Hobe Sound luxurious household golf system neighborhood
Opinion: What’s behind force to create new ‘rural lifestyle’ land use in Martin County?
“When people today were being concerned that they could not seriously comprehend the international technique, it could possibly have been less complicated for them to understand the unique solution. Speaking for myself, I would’ve,” Ciampi claimed told the meeting.
The rural life style designation was proposed — and now is delayed — in tandem with the Atlantic Fields venture, 317 single-household properties and an 18-gap golf class on 1,530 acres on the north facet of Southeast Bridge Street, 1 mile east of Interstate 95.
The designation would allow for density to be greater to 1 unit for each 5 acres on lands usually specified for agriculture. If a developer proposed a challenge with a density extra extreme than 1 unit for each 20 acres, they would be necessary to designate other, independent residence as conservation or an agricultural easement.
Additionally, it would apply only to properties of at least 1,000 contiguous acres in unincorporated Martin County outside the house the Major Urban Support District. It would let extension of utilities to a home outside the house the boundary but at a house owner’s cost and would have to have 70% of a home be employed for open up area these as golfing classes and polo fields.
Hurley wasn’t “thrilled,” he informed TCPalm after the fee final decision to delay, but that he would recraft the proposed language to deliver clarity for commissioners and citizens.
“I believe there was a excellent deal of confusion,” he explained.
The designation, which would amend the county’s detailed system, was reviewed by the condition departments of Financial Option and Agriculture and Customer Providers and the Treasure Coast Regional Organizing Council. The agencies did not oppose the designation, but they gave solutions that were being included into the proposal.
Reps of environmental groups spoke out in opposition to the designation, the two on the net right before the conference and all through the assembly by itself, including the Loxa-Lucie Headwaters steering committee, 1000 Friends of Florida, Friends of the Everglades and the Guardians of Martin County.
The Guardians of Martin County Government Director Greg Braun referred to 26,500 acres that could qualify for the rural life style designation, as offered earlier by Morris Crady, a land planner with Lucido & Associates symbolizing Hurley.
“The Guardians truly feel strongly that the spatial extent of the rural-life style zoning location need to be appreciably lowered,” Braun advised the commission. “It’s difficult to figure out what the effects would be on the degrees of assistance that are named for in the (in depth) approach.”
Though opposition dominated community comment, some speakers voiced guidance, which includes the Martin County Farm Bureau.
“We consider the rural life style land-use designation will provide a likelihood for farmers to reinvest in themselves and keep on their farms,” Bureau President David Hafner explained. “Although we consider the Atlantic Fields task to be a excellent task, we consider this land-use should be offered to all Martin County landowners and should not be limited.”
Lina Ruiz is TCPalm’s watchdog reporter for Martin County. You can get to her at l[email protected], on Twitter @Lina_Ruiz48 or at 321-501-3845.
This write-up at first appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Martin County delays rural way of life land-use designation decision